What We Learned at Social Media Marketing World #SMMW15

This year marked Endurance Marketing’s first foray into the Social Media Marketing World conference in San Diego. With more than 100 sessions, the three of us who attended (including myself) tried to attend different ones so that we cover more ground. At the end of each day, we shared our inside-scoop insights with the rest of the team and discussed our ideas and thoughts around each. So what did we chat about? Here’s a quick round-up of each of our takeaways:

Courtney Jones, content strategist

Experiencing Social Media Marketing World for the first time was exciting and educational – and I can’t wait to go back. Although some of the sessions were definitely better than others, it was worth it to experience the event firsthand (and I’m excited to dive into the recordings as they become available).

Christopher Penn’s nerd-friendly session on social media analytics was among my favorites and here’s my number one takeaway: “Use predictive analysis to understand where your KPIs are going – and take action right away.” His definition of KPI is “when this number gets to zero, we’re out of business.” Rather than it being a surprise when that number does start to fall, he illustrated a simple way to use your data to predict trends and make adjustments in the always changing world of social media. This session on social media analytics made me excited to dig into some spreadsheets and analyze trends even more. It gave real world examples that are applicable to not only our business, but our clients as well.

Okay, now for some stats and other interesting tidbits of advice dished out at #SMMW15:

Wendy Phraner, content manager

Being fairly new to the Endurance Marketing team, my main goal was to be a sponge and absorb as much learning as possible. I truly believe that other creative forms of content, outside of the written word, will continue to be part of a growing trend in 2015 and beyond. So, my concentration was on visual and audible content sessions. In fact, I was surprised at how much Michael Stelzner’s first keynote was focused on podcasting! Nonetheless, here are my main takeaways:

• Podcasts have a more captive audience (Joggers, commuters, etc.). – Cliff Ravenscraft
• It’s ok to outsource the difficult stuff so you can concentrate on what you do best. – Michael Hyatt
• Sweat the small stuff – be creative with every piece of content, even the mundane email sign-up content.” – Ann Handley
• Trello is a amazing organizational tool for visual reference needs. – Steve Dotto, Caleb Wojcik & Zach King
• Pinterest is going to be the next Google. – Guy Kawasaki (via Vincent Ng)
• Rich Pins are the key to getting more exposure on Pinterest, especially for blog articles. – Vincent Ng

• People spend time on social media, but they invest time on LinkedIn. – Jason Miller
• Don’t sell. Don’t tell. Use content to SHOW people your product/service. – Tom Martin
• Content is for closers. Help today’s highly self-educated (potential) buyers complete their education. – Tom Martin
• Buying cycles are not getting shorter. They are actually getting longer but are becoming invisible. – Tom Martin
• Use Meerkat and Periscope for interesting “behind the scenes” live-streams of happenings at your business. – Caleb Wojcik
• ALWAYS respond to feedback in a positive, even delightful way. #HugYourHaters – Jay Baer

Good news! Responding to a complaint in social increases advocacy by 20%. #HugYourHaters #SMMW15 pic.twitter.com/P7suHTtBjU

— Jay Baer (@jaybaer) March 27, 2015

 

Gwen Morrison – founder and social strategist

This was my first time at Social Media Marketing World, as well, and for me it was less about learning new things and more about reigniting my passion for all that we do, every single day.

Being right there, hearing from industry leaders and amazing speakers that included Ann Handley, Guy Kawasaki and Joe Pulizzi was the greatest part of the whole event, for me. For most, I gained even more respect for their expertise after attending their sessions and listening to them speak. There was just the one “headliner” who lost my respect (and my readership). No, I’m not naming names, but let me say this: if you are a highly respected leader in your industry – with a content marketing blog that kicks ass and a Twitter following that impresses – make sure you aren’t rude to people in elevators. You know who you are.

Moving on.

Ann Handley’s session “The Secret Sauce in Your Content Barbecue” was awesome. And what is that highly coveted secret sauce? According to Ann, it’s tone of voice. It’s not what you say, but how you say it that makes all the difference. It reflects your culture, amplifies your story and communicates empathy with the people you want to reach. Not surprisingly, Ann reminded us that we don’t need more content, we need better content. Follow the rule of FIWTSBS (find interesting ways to say boring stuff). Even B2Bs can do it!

Great presentation from @annhandley at #SMMW15 “Not more, better content!” pic.twitter.com/3yY3d756Uc — Lee Odden (@leeodden) March 26, 2015

Not only was Ann’s talk educational, it was funny and smart and entertaining. Plus she had great pants on. Even Lee Odden agreed.

@soniasimone I agree, @annhandley #rockedthepants at #SMMW15 🙂 — Lee Odden (@leeodden) March 26, 2015

Guy Kawasaki’s impressed me so much. It’s no surprise that he is listed one of the five most talked about speakers at the conference (second only to Jay Baer, who crushed it with his closing “Hug Your Haters” talk). It wasn’t so much the tips I picked up at his talk, though I did learn about a few new tools, it was his style and his passion. He’s not only incredible intelligent, he’s a straight shooter, and a pretty funny guy.

If you are using social media well you will piss a few people off @GuyKawasaki #SMMW15 — Endurance Marketing (@EnduranceMktg) March 26, 2015

Overall, I’m really glad I attended this year. If I had to sum it up in one word, for those who are thinking of going next year, it would be quality. Social Media Marketing World brought it. Quality presenters. Quality location. Quality staff. Quality food. Quality activities. Just quality.

Did you attend Social Media Marketing World 2015? What were some of your key takeaways?